It’s hard to make a case against reboots and long-delayed sequels when an exception to the rule like “Blade Runner 2049” comes along. No cynical cash-grab or by-the-numbers repeat, this is a sequel that manages to go deeper on the ideas offered by the first film. (One which, ironically, was a big money-loser back in the summer of 1982 before its cult grew exponentially with each new re-release and re-edit.)

Whereas Ridley Scott’s trips back to the “Alien” well are starting to feel more and more like monster movies with delusions of aesthetic grandeur, Scott’s “Blade Runner” becomes a blueprint for a haunting and meditative genre film. Building off the original movie, and the Philip K. Dick story that inspired it, director Denis Villeneuve and returning writer Hampton Fancher (who collaborated with Michael Green of “Logan” and “American Gods”) never let plot subsume theme.

“2049” isn’t here to answer the first film’s questions about the differences between the natural and the artificial, or the membrane that separates the two concepts, or who gets to make that distinction, but it does take those questions to an even more thoughtful place. In a future dystopia where the outdoor world is always bleak — those off-world colonies remain the place to be — nature only seems glorious when presented as a simulacrum. It’s always raining or snowing in Los Angeles, but inside, scientists are creating eerily realistic virtual rain forests or lighting vast rooms with a dancing illumination that suggests sunshine bouncing off a swimming pool.

It’s no accident that the film’s mass-marketed virtual girlfriend – think a sexy Siri, only a lady hologram who asks you about your day — uses a few notes from “Peter and the Wolf” when she goes into active mode. After all, that famous Prokofiev piece is all about simulating the natural world, with animals and human beings alike being portrayed by different musical instruments. What is real, and what approximates reality, and what happens when the approximation confuses itself for the genuine article, is at the heart of “Blade Runner 2049.”

If it sounds like I’m dancing around the plot, I am; Villeneuve and the publicists at Warner Bros. have asked critics to avoid giving much story away in their reviews, and for once, I’m inclined to agree with a studio dictum. Much of what makes the film exciting and provocative comes from the little (and big) surprises along the way. So for now, let’s stick to the broad outlines.

Three decades have elapsed since the events of the first film. The spate of replicant rebellions has led to the bankruptcy of the Tyrell Corporation. In the mid-2020s, a famine strikes, and Niander Wallace (Jared Leto, underplaying for once) becomes wealthy and powerful through his mastery of synthetic agriculture. He acquires what’s left of Tyrell and begins producing his own replicants, with shorter lifespans.

The remaining old-school replicants are still being hunted down and rounded up by special policemen, known as “blade runners,” like K (Ryan Gosling); when he tracks down Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista) at one of Wallace’s farms, K makes a potentially earth-shattering discovery that eventually sends him out in search of retired, and long-missing, blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).

Story-wise, this is your basic “cop gets in way over his head” tale, complete with K being told by his boss (an appropriately icy Robin Wright) to turn in his badge and his gun. But again, “Blade Runner 2049” isn’t about what happens; it’s about what this terrifying and beautiful world — how could it not be, with Roger Deakins behind the camera — tells us about life and perception and reality.

Deakins’ use of light is masterful throughout, whether we are in Wallace’s palatial ziggurat, the dully fluorescent police offices and morgues, or an abandoned casino where holograms of legendary performers once entertained. Production designer Dennis Gassner (“Into the Woods”) builds on Syd Mead’s legendary, oft-copied concepts for the first film, giving us a world we recognize but also one that has moved forward 30 years. (Not to worry: Pan Am and Atari continue to be in business and to buy billboard space.)

Villeneuve is one of the rare commercial filmmakers who’s not afraid of stillness and silence, and if anything, he goes a little overboard with his lugubriousness at times; the film runs just shy of three hours and could stand to lose a few moments of moody staring. Not that the filmmaker, working once again with editor Joe Walker, doesn’t craft many moments of breathless tension; the early scene between K and Morton ratchets up suspense merely by having a simmering pot on the stove, making us wonder what’s in there and whether it might be used as a weapon.

Still, while the performances are dialed-down, they’re uniformly excellent. The role of K calls on Gosling to squelch some of his natural charisma, but he’s always engaging, always questioning, even if his light is at least partially under a bushel. Ana de Armas (“War Dogs”), as the woman in K’s life, exudes warmth and poignancy, and she’s balanced out by Dutch actress Sylvia Hoeks as a Wallace employee whose benign efficiency barely hides utter ruthlessness.

Mackenzie Davis (the “San Junipero” episode of “Black Mirror”) steals a few scenes as a sex worker – her makeup is far more subdued than the extreme looks favored by Daryl Hannah and Joanna Cassidy in the original – and Ford, of course, brings his gruff gravitas as he revives yet another of his iconic roles of yore.

Here’s hoping modern audiences take to the new “Blade Runner” with more enthusiasm than they did in 1982, because this sequel proves that this world merits repeat visits.

From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.

The Canadian youngster's career began with a recurring role on Disney's 1993 revival of "The Mickey Mouse Club." It was here that Gosling became close friends with fellow castmember Justin Timberlake.

Disney

Kids' horror was another highlight of Gosling's childhood. He appeared on episodes of "Goosebumps" and "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" that involved a radio station broadcasting from the afterlife and a camera that brought misfortune on those who had their picture taken with it.

Nickelodeon

Gosling traveled to New Zealand in 1998 to film the kids series "Young Hercules," in which he played the titular son of Zeus during his warrior training. Shortly afterwards, he decided to move from TV to film and take on more adult roles.

NBC Universal

Child actors sometimes have a hard time transitioning to a successful adult career, but Gosling made the jump with ease thanks to his performance in "Remember The Titans." His previous TV work helped him pick up the role in Disney's family movie, while the film's message on race proved that he could handle more thematically heavy work.

Disney

In 2001, Gosling burst onto the independent film scene with "The Believer," in which he played a Jewish neo-Nazi who struggles with self-hatred over his heritage. Critics praised Gosling for his thought-provoking portrayal of the film's almost paradoxical main character.

Fireworks Pictures

A year later in 2002, Gosling got a chance to perform alongside a top star for the first time when he starred in "Murder By Numbers" alongside Sandra Bullock. Gosling played a privileged, sociopathic high school student who tries to commit the perfect murder, while Bullock played the detective assigned to track him down.

Warner Bros.

Gosling then found massive mainstream success in the 2004 romance "The Notebook" alongside Rachel McAdams. The two won an MTV Movie Award for their kiss in the film, which has earned praise for becoming one of the most famous smooching scenes in movie history.

New Line Cinema

Gosling received his first Oscar nomination for his performance in "Half Nelson" in 2006. He played Dan Dunne, a history teacher who forms a unique relationship with one of his students when Dan is caught snorting cocaine.

ThinkFilm

Gosling was supposed to appear in Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones," but was replaced by Mark Wahlberg. Gosling revealed later that he had been removed for gaining too much weight to prepare for the role after it was initially ruled that he was too young for the part.

Paramount Pictures

After leaving "The Lovely Bones," Gosling took a three-year hiatus from acting before returning in 2010 with "Blue Valentine." While "The Notebook" was a sweet romance, "Blue Valentine" showed Gosling playing a man in the midst of a chaotic divorce.

The Weinstein Company

In 2011, Gosling put his acting range on display in three very different roles. First, he played the womanizing Jacob Palmer in the dark romcom "Crazy, Stupid, Love" alongside Steve Carell.

Warner Bros.

Then Gosling put his minimalist skills on display as an unnamed getaway car driver in the noir crime film "Drive."

FilmDistrict

Finally, he starred alongside George Clooney as a presidential campaign manager who leaves a dark trail of corruption in "The Ides of March."

Columbia

After 2011, however, Gosling fell into a slump with the critics, receiving middling to poor reviews for several years. His most polarizing project was "Only God Forgives," which reportedly received loud jeers when it was screened at Cannes.

The Weinstein Company

Gosling made a big comeback, however, with the Best Picture-nominated film "The Big Short" in 2015. He plays Jared Vennett, a slick bond salesman who decides to profit off the speculative housing market bubble at the cost of the bank he works for.

Paramount

Gosling went back to comedy in May 2016 with "The Nice Guys," where he stars alongside Russell Crowe as a jumpy private eye who uncovers a conspiracy alongside his bitter rival.

Warner Bros.

In December 2016, he generated major awards attention as a jazz pianist who woos aspiring actress Emma Stone in Damien Chazelle's modern musical "La La Land."

Liionsgate

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Canadian actor started out on Disney Channel and then made made bold career choices to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars

From the start of his career, Ryan Gosling has proven that he's not an actor interested in carving out a niche. His filmography is filled with roles that range from romantic heartthrobs to murderers to political and corporate scumbags and back again.

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap's lead movie critic, has written about film for Movieline, Salon, MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the Linoleum Knife podcast and regularly appears on What the Flick?! (The Young Turks Network). Senior Programmer for the Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles and a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival, he is also a consultant for the USA Film Festival/Dallas, where he spent five years as artistic director. A former arts and entertainment editor at the Advocate, he was a regular contributor to "The Rotten Tomatoes Show" on Current. He is the author of two books: "Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas" (Limelight Editions) and "101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men" (Advocate Books).